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He entered the kitchen and took a hard right, hoping to fly past the long table and out the doors at the back of the house. He hadn’t even taken two steps before Shayla blocked him. “Sorry,” she said, pressing herself into the wall behind her.
“Where are you goin’ so fast?” Travis asked, stepping to the end of the table on Lee’s side. “Will, he’s here.”
“I see ‘im,” Will said.
Lee eyed Travis and then Will. They wore identical expressions of half-regret and half-determination. He could probably get them to keep their mouths shut if he tried hard enough. Lee battled with himself, and then he lowered his head and waved his hand.
“All right,” Will called. “Everyone listen up.”
The chatter in the kitchen died down as Gretchen and Rissa turned toward the dining room table.
“Quick poll,” Will said. “We just need a one-or-the-other. Lee went out with a woman last week and said something embarrassing happened that’s preventing him from calling her.”
“What happened?” Rissa asked.
Lee gave her a sharp look, but she gazed right on back. “Did you know the soup was boiling over?”
“Did you know Daddy isn’t feeling well?” he shot at her.
Rissa blinked. “He said he was just tired.”
“This isn’t about Daddy,” Will bellowed. “We just need a vote. Who thinks Lee should call this woman anyway? I mean, I had the nerve to go out with Gretchen even after my sister called the cops on us.”
“You broke into my shoppe,” Rissa said.
“I had a key,” Will whipped at her.
“I went out with Shayla after I accused her of stealing her company,” Travis said.
“The point is, we’ve all done stupid stuff,” Will said. “Embarrassing things. And yet, here we are.” He gestured around to all of Lee’s siblings. “We all have someone who forgives us and accepts us as we are.”
“How do you know she’ll do that?” Lee asked.
“Because she went out with you in the first place,” Gretchen said.
Lee glared at her too, silently begging her to not say another word. Only she knew he’d been out at all.
“I’m with Rissa,” Shayla said slowly. “I think if I knew what the embarrassing thing was, I could make a better decision.”
“You were going to be my favorite sister-in-law,” Lee grumbled to her.
She burst out laughing, and that only fueled Lee’s ire. He faced the room, glad his son was still outside with Mama. “Fine,” he said. “Fine! I tried to kiss her after the date. She…wasn’t ready for that, and I ran away. Okay? Are you happy now, Rissy?”
“Yes,” she said, but her voice had lost its punch.
“Did she like, dodge, or just say something, or…?” Gretchen let her question hang there while Lee wished the floor would melt open underneath him.
“I think that’s all we’re gettin’ from him,” Travis said, stepping closer. “I think that’s nothing, brother. I vote you call her.”
“I’m with Trav,” Shayla said.
“Big surprise,” Lee muttered as she continued with, “So you want to kiss her. Big deal. She should actually like that. In fact, she’s probably been kicking herself for not letting you.”
“When did you go out with her?” Clarissa asked.
“Thursday,” Lee growled.
“Oh, she’s been kicking herself then,” his sister said. She turned back to the stove like this was a done deal. Decided. Over.
